The answer to become featured on LLMs is not simply adding more keywords to your website. It requires a broader approach to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), combining strong SEO foundations with authoritative content, structured information, brand mentions, digital PR and clear signals that AI systems can understand.
Google itself says that the same fundamental SEO best practices remain relevant for its AI search experiences, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google also explains that these experiences can use multiple related searches to build an answer and surface supporting web pages.
For UAE businesses, this means your search strategy needs to consider not only where you rank on Google, but also whether AI systems recognise your business as a credible answer to the questions your customers are asking.
Understanding what it means to be featured in ChatGPT or Gemini
Being featured in AI search can take several forms.
An AI platform might:
- Mention your business by name
- Recommend your company as an option
- Cite one of your website pages
- Use information from your website in its answer
- Include your business in a comparison
- Reference your research, statistics or expertise
- Recommend your products or services for a particular use case
- Use your content as a source when answering a customer's question
This is different from traditional SEO.
With conventional Google search, the objective is generally to rank highly for a particular keyword and encourage the user to click through to your website.
With generative search, the objective is to make your business relevant, understandable, authoritative and source-worthy enough to be included in an AI-generated response.
That is where GEO – Generative Engine Optimisation comes in.
For a broader explanation, see our guide to SEO vs GEO vs AEO.
How Can ChatGPT or Gemini Find Your UAE Business?
1. Build a strong SEO Foundation first
One of the biggest misconceptions about GEO is that it replaces SEO. It doesn't.
GEO builds on SEO.
Google's own guidance for AI Overviews and AI Mode says there are no additional technical requirements specifically for AI features beyond being eligible for Google Search. Google recommends continuing to follow its fundamental SEO requirements and creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.
That means your website still needs:
- Strong technical SEO
- Crawlable pages
- Indexable content
- Clear site architecture
- Fast performance
- Strong internal linking and lots more.
This is particularly important for businesses targeting competitive UAE searches.
If your website is technically weak, poorly structured or difficult for search engines to understand, GEO will not magically solve the problem.
2. Build Content that directly answers customer questions
AI search is particularly well suited to conversational questions.
Instead of searching: "GEO agency Dubai", a potential customer might ask:
"What is the best GEO agency in Dubai for a B2B company?"
Or:
"How can a Dubai business get mentioned in ChatGPT?"
Or:
"Which digital marketing agencies in Dubai specialise in AI search?"
Your content needs to answer these types of questions clearly.
That means moving beyond short, generic blog posts and developing genuinely useful resources around the questions your audience is asking.
For example, a Dubai healthcare business could create content around:
- How to choose a healthcare marketing agency in Dubai
- How patients search for doctors in the UAE
- What makes a healthcare website trustworthy
- How AI search is changing patient acquisition
- What patients ask ChatGPT before choosing a clinic
The goal is not to write content for AI instead of people.
The goal is to create content that is so clear, useful and authoritative that both people and AI systems can understand it.
3. Structure your Content so that AI can understand it
One of the most important GEO principles is extractability.
AI systems need to understand what your page is about and identify the parts of the page that are useful for answering a question.
Structured data helps LLMs and search engines better understand your content. To implement:
- Add schema markup for FAQs, how-to guides, and product descriptions. This provides explicit signals about the nature and content of your pages.
- Use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to validate your implementation: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
- Implement schema for organisational information, breadcrumbs, and article metadata to give LLMs a clear picture of your site's structure and content hierarchy.
- Regularly update your structured data to reflect any changes in your content or website structure, ensuring LLMs always have the most current information.
4. Strengthen your Brand's Authority outside of your website
This is one of the most important differences between traditional on-page SEO and a mature GEO strategy.
AI systems need to establish who you are and whether you are credible. That means your website should not be the only place where your brand exists.
Look for opportunities to build legitimate mentions across:
- Industry publications
- News websites
- Digital PR
- Trade publications
- Industry associations
- Business directories etc.
For a UAE company, this can also mean building stronger Dubai / Abu Dhabi and UAE-specific authority signals.
5. Optimise for Local and UAE specific intent
This is particularly important if you want to appear when people ask AI platforms for local recommendations.
For UAE businesses, your website should clearly communicate:
- Where you operate
- Which UAE cities you serve
- Which industries you specialise in
- Which services you provide
- Which markets you cover
- Whether you work in English and Arabic
- Relevant local experience
- Your physical business information where appropriate
Local SEO also remains important. Your Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews and consistent business information can strengthen your overall local search presence.
Our guide to optimising your Google Business Profile covers some of these fundamentals.
Why GEO matters for businesses in the UAE
The UAE is a particularly interesting market for AI search.
Dubai is highly international, digitally connected and competitive. Businesses often compete not only for local customers but for audiences across the wider GCC and international markets. That makes visibility in conversational search increasingly valuable.
A customer may no longer begin their research with:
"digital marketing agency Dubai"
They may begin with:
"Which digital marketing agency in Dubai is best for an international B2B company?"
Or:
"Who are the leading AI marketing agencies in the UAE?"
Or:
"Which GEO agencies in Dubai can help my business appear in ChatGPT?"
These are fundamentally different search behaviours.
The businesses that prepare for them now have an opportunity to build authority before AI search becomes an even more established part of the customer journey.
For businesses considering specialist support, our guide to the Top GEO Agencies in Dubai explains what to look for when evaluating a GEO partner.
Conclusion
The rise of LLMs in search engines has ushered in a new age of SEO, where context, relevance, and user intent reign supreme. By adopting these strategies and tactics, you'll be well-positioned to conquer search results this year and beyond. Remember, the key is to create valuable, user-focused content that aligns with how LLMs understand and process information.
Keep experimenting, stay updated with the latest developments in AI and search technology, and always prioritise your users' needs. The future of SEO is dynamic and exciting, offering endless opportunities for those who are willing to adapt and innovate. Happy optimising!
p.s. If you want a FAST (it takes us 30 seconds ;) review of how your website is performing visibility wise on LLMs, we'd be happy to provide this for you free with no obligation. Talk to us here and let us know.
